Rail-fastener.



ATTURNEYS. I

No. 67|,734. Patented Apr. 9, I90I.

-J. M. SPAULDING.

RAIL FASTENEB.

(Applicntiog filed Oct. 1, 1900.)

(No Model.)

1m: uomus PEYERS 00.. momumo. wuumcn'ou. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. SPAULDING, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

RAlL-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,734, dated April 9,1901. Application filed October 1, 1900. Serial No. 31,620. (No model.)

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. JAMES M. SPAULDING, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Rail-Fasteners, of which the following, takeninconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in rail-fasteners, one objectbeing to providea simple and practical device which is light and durableand whereby one or more rails may be speedily and economically placed inoperative position and securely held from being displaced or tamperedwith.

A further object of this invention is to provide the device with broadground and railhearing faces for, the rails, thereby necessitating aless number of the supports than has heretofore been required.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the parts of a rail-fastener, as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention and a pair of rails operatively mounted therein, one of therails being shown by the dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a detail view of aportion of the supporting-tie and the fastening members for securing oneof the rails thereto, said rail being shown in its operative positionand one of the fastening members being partly broken away for disclosingthe stop or abutment therefor. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the detached tie, showingthe removable abutments or stops in operative position. Figs. 5 and 6are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 5 5 and 6 6, Fig. 2.Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views, respectively, of the detachedinnerand outer locking members for engaging the opposite sides of therail.

My invention consists, essentially, of a support or tie l,oppositely-arranged fastening or locking members 2 and 3, and keys 4 and5 for holding the members 2 and 3 in position.

The support or tie 1 preferably consists of an elongated bar of steel orsimilar material, which may be readily rolled or pressed into thedesired form and which is generally provided with oppositely-arrangedbase-flanges 6 6, a web 7, projecting upwardly from the base, andoppositely arranged lengthwise flanges 8 8, projecting from the upperedge of the web 7. The base or the flanges 6 6 of the tie preferablyincline downwardly from the web 7 for forming a lengthwise recess 9 inits lower face, and thereby lessening the weight of the tie and bracingthe same against any superimposed load. The lower faces of the outeredges of the flanges 6 6 are usually flat and disposed in substantiallythe same horizontal plane and, together with the upper walls of therecess, form a wide and ample bearing for the tie and permit the gravelor ballastto be tam ped or worked into the ends of the recesses forleveling or lining up the rails. The ballast thus filled in beneath andbetween the flanges forms a broad bearing for the tie and serves toprevent undue lateral movement or displacement thereof. The web 7 isusually of just sufficient height between the upper and lower flanges 6and 8 to permit the fastening members 2 and 3 to be readily and easilyplaced or moved into operative position and may be of any desiredthickness to meet the requirements of its function,the purpose being tomake the tie as light as may be consistent. The flanges 8 serve thepurpose of forming a suitable seat for the rails and co operate with thefastening members 2 and 3 for holding the rail in a fixed position. Theoppo site ends of the tie 1 are formed with transverse slots 10lO,preferably extending through the flanges 8 on opposite sides of therail-seat' for receiving the keys 4 and 5, presently described. Theseslots are generally formed of substantially the same width and areslightly wider than the key 5 for a purpose hereinafter mentioned. Oneof the side walls of each of the slots 10, and preferably the walls moreremote from the rail-seat, are inclined from one end to the other forforming bearing-faces for the keys throughout the width of the flangesor upper portion of the tie, and thereby distributing the lateral strainupon said keys which may be transmitted from the rails and through thefastening members.

The fastening members 2 and 3 serve to firmly hold the rail in itsoperative position and permit the same to be readily adjusted or moresecurely fastened should the contiguous parts become worn or battered inuse and are movable along the upper face of the tie in engagement withthe flanges 8. Each of these fastening members preferably consists of ablock or body of suitable metal, such as malleable or cast iron, havinga jaw or transverse flange 12 and a T-shaped recess extending upwardlyfrom its lower face from end to end for forming suitable dependinglengthwise flanges 14 and ribs or shoulders 15 projecting inwardlytoward each other from the lengthwise lower edges of said flanges. Thejaws 12 are adapted to engage the opposite faces of a web a of a rail Aand also the upper faces and lengthwise edges of the oppositebase-flanges a a of said rail and are therefore formed with suitable,engaging faces shaped to conform to the flanges and Web of any form ofrail. The flanges l4 preferably extend beneath and beyond the adjacentedges of the flanges a of the rail for forming as long a bearing uponthe flanges 8 as possible and, being slightly separated at their jawends from the jaws, form a transverse recess 16 for receiving the flangea, of the rail A.

The T-shaped recess of the fastening member 2 is of substantially thesame form and size in crosssection as the upper portion of the web '7and flanges 8 of the tie, the upper wall of said recess normally restingupon the upper face of thetie and the ribs 15 being engaged with thelower faces of the flanges S. The flanges 14 of the members 2 are formedwith lengthwise grooves 20 upon their inner faces and extending inwardlya limited distance from their outer ends for formingsuitablestop-shoulders 21, which engage the keys 4 and limit the outwardmovement of said members 2 and rails A.

The members 3 are of substantially the same form as the members 2,except that their flanges 14 are not provided with the lengthwise innergrooves and are form ed with transverse slots 25, (not seen in themembers 2,) but which may be formed in said members 2, if desired, inwhich instance either of the keys 4 or 5 may be used for holding themember 2 in operative position.

- The key 4 is adapted to be used in connection with the member 2, whichis provided with the lengthwise grooves in the inner faces of itslengthwise flanges, and the key 5 is constructed to be used inconjunction with the member 3, having the transverse slots 25. Both ofthese keys are preferably formed wedge-shaped or provided with oneinclined side edge arranged to engage the inclined wall of either of theslots 10, the key 5 being formed of greater length than the key 4 inorder that when placed in operative position its opposite ends willextend beyond the outer faces of the member 3. When this key 5 is thusplaced in operative position and driven or forced in the direction ofits taper, its inclined edge engages the inclined wall of thecorresponding slot 10 and its opposite edge engages the inner walls ofthe slots 25, thereby forcing the jaws of the member 3 into firmengagement with the contiguous parts of the rail and also forcing therail firmly against the jaw of the member 2, it being understood thatsaid member 2 is held from further movement by the shoulders 21 engagingwith the projecting ends of the key 4.

When the key 5' is 'sufflciently forced through the slots 10 and 25 forfirmly clamping the rail in position, the smaller end of the key 5 isbent or lapped upon the adjacent outer face ofthe member 3, Figs. 3 and6, thereby insuring a permanent lock for the key and rail and making itextremely difflcult to tamper with or displace the rail or any of thefastening means therefor.

It will be noted that the key 2 is entirely concealed, and .owing to thefactthat the outer portion of the track or rail is the most conspicuousand the outer fastening'member the most liable to be tampered with Ipreferably use this concealed key for the outer fastener, although it isapparent that the position of these fastening members 2 and3 may beinterchanged, if desired-that is, the member 2 and its key 4 may beplaced at the inside of the rail and the member 3 and key 5 may be usedat the outer side of said rail and it will be further noted that themember 2 and key 4 may be entirely dispensed with and substituted bymembers 3 and keys 5, and it is for this purpose that I form the slotsof substantially the same width and provide both with an inclined sidewall.

In the operation of my invention the members 3 are slipped over the endsof the flanges of the tie in the relation seen in Fig. 1, with theirjaws arranged toward the opposite ends of the tie and moved toward thecenter of said tie. The members 2 are then registered with the oppositeends of the flanges, with their jaws projecting toward each other andslid along said flanges until they pass the outer slots 10. The keys 4are/then inserted in the outer slots of the tie, with their endsprojecting beyond the side faces of the flanges. The members 2 are thenmoved toward their respective keys 4 until the shoulders 21 engage theprojecting ends of said keys and check the further outward movement ofthe members 2. The rails A are then placed in position against the innerfaces of the members 2. Then the members 3 are moved into engagementwith the inner faces of their respective rails and the keys 5 areinserted into the slots 10 and 25 and their narrow ends bent upon theadjacent portions of the members 3.

When desired to remove the rail for any sufficient cause, it isnecessary to employ a special tool for straightening the bent ends ofthe keys 5, which may then be driven or forced out of the slots 10 and25 and the member 3 moved inwardly out of engagement with therail,whereby said rail may be readily taken out and a new one placed inposition.

The operation of my invention may now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings,and it will be noted that the members 2 and 3 may be interchanged andthat the detail construction of the various parts may be somewhatchanged without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore I do notlimit myself to the precise construction shown and described.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rail fastener comprising a support having a lengthwise flange and aremovable key having its ends projecting laterally from the flange, anda fastening member movably interlocked with the flange and provided withopposed faces engaged respectively with the rail and key, said fasteningmember being extended beyond the ends of the key for concealing saidends and preventing the endwise displacement ofthe key.

2. A rail-fastener comprising a tie, a fastening member movablelengthwise of the tie from end to end without removal therefrom, a keyinterlocked with the tie and movable transversely thereof for engagingthe fastening member and limiting its lengthwise movement, said memberbeing arranged to overlap one endof the key for preventing its endwisemovement.

3. A rail fastener comprising a support having an upperlaterally-projecting lengthwise flange provided With a transverse slot,a railengaging member movable along the flange from end to end withoutremoval and provided with a rib interlocking with the flange forpreventing its removal except at the ends of the flange, and a keymovable in the slot and having a portion thereof projecting into thepath of said member for limiting its lengthwise movement in onedirection, said member being free to move in the reverse direction andadapted to overlap the end edges of the key for preventing endwisemovement of the key.

4:. A rail fastener comprising a support having upperlaterally-projecting lengthwise flanges provided with transverse slotsarranged in pairs, keys movable Within the slots and fastening membersarranged in pairs corresponding to the pairs of slots, each pair offastening members having adjacent rail-engaging faces and shouldersengaged with adjacent keys for the purpose described.

5. A rail-fastener comprising a support having a T-shaped head providedwith a transverse slot, a key removably mounted in said slot andprojecting laterally from the head of the support, a rail-engagingmember movable lengthwise of the support and provided with a T-shapedrecess for receiving said head, said member being formed with anengaging shoulder for engaging the projecting end of the key forlimiting the movement of the member in one direction.

6. A rail fastener comprising a support having an upperlaterally-projecting lengthwise flange provided with a transverse slot,a rail-engaging member movable lengthwise of the support and formed witha rib interlooking with the flange of the support, and a removable keyinserted in the slot for engaging said member and limiting itslengthwise movement in one direction, said fastening member having itsside walls projecting beyond the ends of the key and adapted to concealsaid projecting ends.

7. A rail fastener comprising a support having opposite lengthwiseflanges, and a transverse slot extending through said flanges, a keyremovably supported Within the slot and having its opposite endsprojecting beybnd the flanges, a fastening member movably mounted on thesupport and provided with opposite depending flanges having lengthwiseribs engaged with the lower faces of the flanges of the support, saidmember having its flanges provided with lengthwise shoulder on thesupport for limiting its movement and a key removably mounted in theslot and engaged with the other member.

9. A rail fastener comprising a support' having a T-shaped head formedwith a transverse slot, oppositely-arranged rail-engaging membersmovable lengthwise of the head from end to end and provided with ribsinterlocked with the flanges of the support, a removable shouldermounted on the head for engaging one of the members and limiting itslengthwise movement and a tapering key movable in the slot for engagingthe other member and forcing the same toward the for mer member.

10. A rail-fastener comprising a T-shaped support having its upperflange provided with a transverse slot, oppositely-arrangedrail-engaging members mounted on the head of the support and movablelengthwise thereof from end to end for engaging opposite faces of one ofthe rails, one of said members being provided with a transverse slotadapted to register with the former slot, a removable shoulder mountedon the support for engaging the other member and limiting its lengthwisemovement and a tapering key movable in the slots of the support andmember for forcing said slotted member toward the other member.

11. A rail-fastener comprising a flanged support having separatedtransverse slots, independently-movable rail-engaging members mountedonthe support and provided with ribs interlocking with the flange of thesupport, one of said members being provided with a transverseslotadapted to register with the slot of the support the other member beingprovided with an engaging shoulder projecting from its inner face, atapering key mounted in one of the slots and having its opposite endsextending through the slot in the adjacent member and a second keymounted in the other slot and projecting into the path of the shoulderof the other member, said latter key being normally concealed by the 11]ember adjacent thereto.

12. In a rail-fastener, the herein-described support having asubstantially central len gth'- wise rib. and opposite base-flangesinclining downwardly from the lower end of the web,-

the upper end of the web being formed with laterally-projectinglengthwise ribs or flanges having transverse slots arranged in pairs andextending therethrough for the purpose described.

13. In a rail-fastener, the herein-described support or tie havingopposite laterally-projecting lengthwise flanges provided with removablekeys arranged in pairs and projectinglaterally from the side faces ofsaid flanges in combination with rail-engaging members adapted to beengaged by said keys for the purpose described.

14. In a rail-fastener, the herein-described tie or support,'consistingof acentral web, oppositely-arranged base-flanges inclining downwardlyfrom the lower ends of the web for forming a lengthwise recess in thebase of the support, the upper end of said web being formed withoppositely-projecting flanges having each of its opposite ends providedwith separated transverse slots extending therethrough for the purposedescribed.

15. In a rail-fastener, the herein-described rail-engaging member havinga transverse slot and a lengthwise substantially T-shaped recessextending upwardly from its lower face, and communicating with the slot.

16. In a rail-fastener, the herein-described rail-engaging member havinga transverse recess in one end and a transverse slot through its body,said member being formed with separated lengthwise flanges provided withinwardly-projecting lengthwise ribs.

17., In a rail-fastener, the herein-described rail engaging memberhaving separated lengthwise flanges provided with inwardlyprojectinglengthwise ribs and transverse slots extending through the flanges abovethe ribs.

18. A rail-fastener comprising a T-shaped support or tie having itsupper flanged portion provided with transverse slots arranged in pairs,keys movable in said slots, and fastening members arranged in pairs andprovided with T-shaped recesses extending upwardly from their lowerfaces for receiving said upper flanges, each pair of said fasteningmembers being provided with rail-engaging faces and shoulders forengaging adjacent keys, said fastening members being removable from theends of the tie and adapted to be substituted one for the other.

- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day ofSeptember, 1900.

JAMES M. SPAULDING.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M.'NOTT.

